Author Showcase

Shana Gammon is the author and illustrator of Marie’s Nine Lives. She based the book on her cat Marie; a cat that she and her family rescued from an animal shelter. This is Shana’s second book for children.

TCBR: Marie’s 9 Lives is a chapter book based on your cat Marie; a cat that you and your family rescued from an animal shelter. When did you realize that she would make a great protagonist for a story?

Shanna Gammon: It didn’t take long. Almost immediately we noticed Marie was a little different than other cats. At night, she loved to sleep in the sink or on top of the children’s heads. During the day, she would play with the children, occasionally going up and down their slide (by her choice) or walking along the top of their swing set. The kids were delighted. They thought that maybe she had once belonged to a circus. So I began to make up humorous stories to tell our children about where Marie had lived and what she had done before we adopted her.

Author Showcase

Marie is a cute, ditzy feline with a penchant for disaster. Her love of adventure leads her on a journey that’s filled with excitement, danger, and tuna. Catnip abounds in this funny tale about a cat that lives out all of her nine lives to the fullest.

Lynchburg, VA – 9/27/11 – Marie’s Nine Liveschronicles the life of a cat who is unwittingly trying to find her place in the world. The book contains nine chapters; each represents one of Marie’s “nine lives”. Although you can never guess where Marie’s adventures will take her, you can be certain disaster is never too far away. One day, Marie meets a family she wants to live with forever. Will her wish come true? Can this family handle Marie?